This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Applications No. 11-206199, filed Jul. 21, 1999; and No. 11-206200, filed Jul. 21, 1999, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
This invention relates to a roof tile for attaching, to the roof of a house, a solar battery module for subjecting sunlight to photoelectric conversion, and also to a roof tile-cum-solar battery module.
Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 10-88741, for example, discloses a technique for mounting a solar battery module on a tile attached to the roof of a house or a building, for using solar energy by converting it into electric energy.
More specifically, this publication discloses a roof tile-cum-solar battery module, which has a substantially flat tile body provided with a solar battery module in a recess formed in its upper surface. A plurality of holes are formed in the recess of the tile body such that they extend to the lower surface of the tile body. Rainwater, leaking into the recess, through caulking provided between the solar battery module and the recess for protecting the module from water, is guided to the reverse side of the tile body through the holes.
However, when rainwater is collected in the recess for a long time because of, for example, degradation of caulking, it is possible that connecting terminals attached to the reverse surface of the solar battery module will get wet.
Furthermore, since, in the above-described structure, rainwater leaking into the recess is guided to the lower or reverse surface of the tile body, it is possible that the roofing board of a house, which is covered with such tile bodies, will get wet and corrode.
The present invention has been developed in light of the above problem, and aims to provide a tile for a solar battery module, which does not require any caulking between a solar battery module and a tile body to protect the connecting terminals of the module or the tile board of a roof from rainwater, and also to provide a tile-cum-solar battery module.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a tile mounted on an inclined roof of a building, comprising:
a tile body having a plurality of projecting portions and a plurality of depressed portions alternately extending over an entire length of the tile in a direction of inclination of the inclined roof; and
a recess formed in at least one of the projecting portions of the tile body for receiving a solar battery module, the recess including a bottom portion to be brought into contact with a reverse surface of the solar battery module, and at least one stop portion to be brought into contact with an edge portion of the solar battery module to hold it, the bottom portion being at a lower level than the projecting portions and at a higher level than the depressed portions.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a tile mounted on an inclined roof of a building, comprising:
a plurality of projecting portions extending over an entire length of the tile in a direction of inclination of the inclined roof;
a plurality of depressed portions each interposed between each pair of adjacent ones of the projecting portions, the depressed portions each having opposite ends opening at an upper end and a lower end of the tile, the depressed portions serving as drain passages for downwardly discharging rainwater in the direction of inclination of the roof; and
an accommodating recess formed in one of the projecting portions for accommodating a terminal box projecting from a reverse surface of the solar battery module.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a tile-cum-solar battery module mounted on an inclined roof of a building, comprising:
a tile body having a plurality of projecting portions and a plurality of depressed portions alternately extending over an entire length of the tile in a direction of inclination of the inclined roof, the depressed portions each having opposite ends opening at an upper end and a lower end of the tile, the depressed portions serving as drain passages for downwardly discharging rainwater in the direction of inclination of the roof;
a recess formed in at least one of the projecting portions of the tile body;
a solar battery module placed in the recess, the recess including a bottom portion to be brought into contact with a reverse surface of the solar battery module, and at least one stop portion to be brought into contact with an edge portion of the solar battery module to hold it, the bottom portion being at a lower level than the projecting portions and at a higher level than the depressed portions; and
an accommodating recess formed in the bottom portion of the recess for accommodating a terminal box projecting from a reverse surface of the solar battery module.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.